library

ANNUAL REPORT

for 1 949

OF THE

Medical Officer of Health

Including the Report

OF THE

rv'>.

Borough Sanitary Inspector.

F. P. MELLISH, PRINTER, KYDE

Public Health Officers, 1949.

Medical Officer of Health : John S. Cameron,!* m.b., ch.B., d.p.h. (Resigned from office 15th December, 1949.)

D. Warren Browne, f * m.r.c.s., l.r.c.p.,

D.P.H., D.T.M. & H.

("Appointed 28th November, 1949.)

Borough Sanitary Inspector : Albert Ainley,| m.s.i.a, (Retired on Superannuation 11th July, 1949.)

Senior Sanitary Inspector : S. Dunmore,| m.s.i.a., a.r. San. 1.

(Appointed 1 ith July, 1949 )

Additional Sanitary 1 T T 4-

Inspector • | L- N. Jordan, 4 m.s.i.a., a.r. San. 1.

(Appointed 3rd October, 1949.)

Clerk : Miss D. G. Boyce.

* Part time Officer.

t Salary Contribution by Exchequer Grants.

Health Department,

Municipal Offices,

5 Lind Street,

RYDE, I.W.

To the Mayor , Aldermen and Councillors ,

Ryde Borough Corporation.

Gentlemen,

I have the honour to present my Annual Report of the Borough of Ryde for the year 1949.

During the year under review your Senior Sanitary Inspector, Mr. Albert Ainley, retired in June, and Mr. Stanley Dunmore was appointed as his successor. In December your Medical Officer of Health, Dr. J. S. Cameron, resigned in order to enter general practice in Scotland, and I had the honour to be appointed as your Medical Officer of Health in his place. This report, therefore, covers the period of eleven months of Dr. Cameron’s office during the year, and is, therefore, virtually a proxy report on his behalf.

1949 was the first full year following the inauguration of the National Health Service. The changes brought about by the new Service have not caused a break of continuity in respect of the Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics in your Borough, as the medical and nursing staffs remain as before, and I am happy to say that there has been no adverse effect upon these Clinics.

There has been little change in the health of the community, as compared with 1948. The prevalence of measles and whooping cough fell, from 272 and 81, to 72 and 33, respectively — a fall which was to be expected in view of the natural history of these infections. Tuberculosis cases increased to 32, of whom 24 were fresh cases occurring* within the Borough.

The total number of notifications of infectious diseases, however, showed a marked drop to 140 — a reduction of 229. Of these notifications, 3 were of anterior poliomyelitis.

The Registrar General’s estimate of the population was 19,730 — a decrease of 360. This decrease, however, is insufficient to relieve the very grave housing situation, and

2

gross overcrowding continues to be a major problem of this Department. The consequences of this overcrowding are many, the most serious being the effect on the physical and mental health of the children. The problems of tuberculosis, and other respiratory diseases, juvenile delinquency, and many other urgent social questions, are all related, directly or indirectly, to the shortage of housing. You will see from the table that the birth-rate has again fallen, and I prophesy that it will continue to fall until adequate and reasonable living accommodation is made available for the young parents. The full impact of this falling birth-rate will be felt in less than twenty years from now, when the age groups of the population will be grossly unbalanced. Since 1900 the expectation of life has increased by 18)4 years for males and 20 years for females, and it is apparent that these figures will be considerably greater by 1970. In 1900, out of every 100 males born, only 33 attained the age of 65, whereas already over 60 males can now attain that age.

The consequences will be that within a generation from now the care of old people will present stupendous difficulties, not least of which will be the provision of suitable living accommodation. There are few houses being built to-day of such a design as will be suitable for occupation by old persons. As institutional life for the old people will be not only undesirable but economically impossible for the country to support, it may be found that the only satisfactory alternative will be to attach to a large proportion of our future houses a small self-contained annexe in which old persons can live as active members of the community, cared for by their younger relatives and contributing, as far as their faculties permit, to the common good.

Albeit the economic and social repercussions are already far-reaching, and it is my opinion that the solution of the housing problem is also directly and indirectly the solution of our present social and health problems as they exist to-day.

I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,

Your obedient Servant,

DONALD WARREN BROWNE, Medical Officer of Health .

3

Statistics. (l) General.

Area, in acres	7,876
Number of inhabited houses (end of 1949) according to rate books ...	5,862
Rateable Value	£159,769
Sum represented by id. Rate	£639 17s.
(2) Vital. Population (Registrar’s Figure)	19,73°
Live Birth Rate per 1,000 of estimated resident population ...	12*9
Live Birth Rate England and Wales	167
Still Birth Rate per 1,000 (Still and Live Births)	267
Death Rate per 1,000 of estimated resident population	i5‘3
Comparative factor ...	072
Comparative Death Rate	I 1*0
Death Rate England and Wales	117
Deaths from Puerperal causes Rate per 1,000 (Live and Still Births) — From Sepsis ...	Nil
From other causes	67
Death Rate : — All Infants per 1,000 live births	27-4
Legitimate Infants per 1,000 legitimate live births	217
Illegitimate Infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births	125*0
Deaths from Measles (all ages)	Nil
Deaths from Whooping Cough	Nil
Deaths from Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) Nil
Deaths from Cancer (all ages)	35

4

Sanitary Circumstances.

Water.

A pure constant supply of water has been maintained from the Corporation’s water works throughout the year.

The following number of water samples were examined during the year : —

Bacteriological ... .39 Chemical ... 5

Five of the bacteriological samples were found to be unsatisfactory and, upon investigation into the cause, it was found to be due to defects in the water service pipes at the place of sampling : these defects were remedied and further samples then taken which proved satisfactory.

Chlorination of all sources of water continues according to the Ministry of Health requirements, but the minimum doseage is required in view of the clarity and purity of these virginal sources.

Prevalence of Infectious and other Diseases.

Disease	Total Cases Notified	Cases Admitted to Hospital	Total Deaths
Scarlet Fever	8	I	- - -
Diphtheria	—	—	—
Meningitis (Cerebro-spinal Fever,)		-	______
Puerperal Pyrexia	1	—	—
Erysipelas ...	—	—	—
Encephalitis Lethargica	—	—	—
Measles	72	2	—
Whooping Cough ...	33	—	—
Ac. Anterior Poliomyelitis	3	3	—
Ophthalmia Neonatorum	—		—
Pneumonia ...	2	—	—
Dysentery	—	—	—
Food Poisoning	20	—	—
Malaria	1	—	—
	140	6	—

Age at Date of Notification.

5

	i	1 1 1	1	1	1 1	hH |	!		t-H
Sinuosioj pooj	I	1 1 1	i M 00 1 !	\j-) VO VO H	O Cl
r - 1 , A.I3JU3SAQ j j	1 1 1			1	1	i 1		1		1
SIJipAuiOqOd ious^uy 3V	i	1 " 1	!			1	M V-» J	1		CO
q§no3 Suidooiqw	cOvO N Ol j Cl	I i	CO CO
S3JSE3J\[	1 0^0 i— • u 3 CO i — i t— • i I M CO	I 72
uimcqBUOSjvi •BiuiiHipqdo		1 1 1 i	j		1 •!				1
sqi^uiusjv lT2Ulds-0-KpJ33		1 1 1			1 1				1
SBjadiSiCig		1 1		1		1	1		1
Biuoum3uj	i 1 1					‘■H	! ~	Cl *
BIX3JAJ piadjsnj	Ml!				H
BOiSiBqpq Siq{BL[d33U3		1 1				1 1				1
Buaq^qdiQ		1 1	1				1				1
a3A3qr p[iBOS		| | | W d Tt-		"				00
Age.	Cl CO Tj- *-0 O >00 uouow-j t-t h-l Cl CO u a; i_4 3 O m ^2 V. X3 to G _ c, ro-rt-voO uO O >0 ‘O ‘O I -J M H Cl tJ“ k*Q	Totals

6

Food Poisoning Outbreaks.

(a) Total number of outbreaks ... 2

(b) Number of cases ... ... 26

(c) Number of deaths ... ... None

(d) Organisms or other agents responsible, in one out¬ break the agent responsible was probably toxin (staphylococcal) and in the other the agent is not known.

(e) Foods involved. In one outbreak the food involved was a proprietary brand of tinned corned beef where there was probably a fault in the container, and the other was possibly due to Salmonella infec¬ tion of the dried egg used in the preparation of egg sauce.

Non-Notifiable Infectious Diseases Return from Head Teachers of Schools.

Mumps ... .. 24

Chicken Pox ... ... 202

Influenza .. 9

German Measles ... ... 2

237

Diphtheria Prophylaxis.

Age under 5 — 15

5 years years

Percentage of the child popu¬ lation it is considered were

immunised at 31.12.49 ... 29^4 6o'o

(This estimate includes, so far as can be assessed, children immunised in the Authority’s area by private arrange¬ ment and children who have come into the area after being immunised elsewhere).

7

Tuberculosis, 1949.

Age Periods.	i Total	New Cases.	Total	Deaths.
Pulmonary M F	Non-Pulmonary M F	Pulmonary M F	Non-Pulmonary M F
T Tnrl pr	t
	Ai v_A wi t » 1		3	3
I	and under 5			—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5	3 3	10	3	—	—	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
IO	33	15	4	— -	—	3	1	1	I	—	—	—
i5	3 5	20	1	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
20	33	25	5	3	2	—	—	I	I	—	—	—
25	33	35	4	2	2	—	—	I	—	1	—	—
35	3 3	45	2	2	—	—	—	2	I	1	—	—
45	3 3	55	6	5	1	—	—	I	I	—	—	—
55	3 3	65	3	2	1		—	I	—	1	—	—
65	) >	75	1	—	1	—	—	I	I	—	—	—
75	and over	•									—	—
	Totals	• • •	T32	17	8	5	2	*8	5	3	—	—

f This total includes six transfers from the mainland and two old cases who returned to the Island.

* This total includes one case who died from another disease

8

Factories Act, 1937.

Report of the Medical Officer of Health in respect of the Year 1949 , for the Borough of Ryde , in the County of the Isle of Wight ,

Part I of the Act.

1. Inspections for the purposes of provisions as to health (including inspections made by Sanitary Inspectors).

I	Number		Number of
Premises.	on Register	Inspections	Written Notices	Occupiers prosecuted
(I) Factories in which Sections i, 2, 3, 4 and 6 are to be enforced bv Local Authorities	34	54
(II) Factories not included in (i) in which Section 7 is enforced by the Local Authority ...	80	95
(Ill) Other Premises in which Section 7 is enforced by the Local Authority. (Excluding outworkers’ premises) ...
Total ...	114	'49	—	—

2. Cases in which Defects were found.

	Number of cases in which Defects were found.	Number of cases in
Particulars	Found	Remedied	Referred To H.M. | By H.M. Inspector j Inspector	which Prosecutions were instituted
Want of cleanliness (S.i)	20	20	_ _	____
Overcrowding (S 2)	—	—	—	—	"■ —
Unreasonable temperature (S.3)	—	—	—	—	—
Inadequate ventilation ( S . 4 )	I	I	—	—	—
Ineffective drainage of floors (S.6)	—	—	—	—	—
Sanitary Conveniences (S.7) (a) Insufficient	I	I
(b) Unsuitable or defective	3	3	—	—	—
(c) Not separate for sexes	—		—	—	—
Other offences against the Act (not including offences relating to Outwork)	|	—	—	—	—
Total	25	25 1	—	—	—

9

Milk Supply.

Milk was produced at 54 dairy farms in the area, and supervision of these farms was continued until 1st October, when the duties were transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries under the Food & Drugs (Milk & Dairies) Act, 1944. The number of milk producer- retailers on the Register before transfer was 23, and they were presumably operating at the end of the period under review but, like the milk producers, they are not now subject to registration by the Local Authority. 15 retailers were registered.

No milk samples were examined for bacterial content or tubercle bacilli.

Food Analysis.

61 samples of food were purchased by the County Officials, for analysis as follows : —

Milk 20

Sausage 8

Ice-Cream 9

Flour 2

Chocolate Roll 1

Golden Raising Powder 1 Sweephat 1

Tincture of Iodine 1

Tomato Ketchup 1

Custard Powder 1

Cherry Jam 1

Gin 1

Macaroni Milk Pudding 1 Marmalade 1

Malt Vinegar 1

Pastry Mix 1

Pease & Potato Pudding 1 Plum Jam 2

Rum 2

Whisky 3

Popcorn 1

Gelozone 1

13 samples were certified by the County Analyst to be of unsatisfactory quality, and Court proceedings were taken in respect of 4 of these.

Food Meat	Destroyed : • • •	9^ cwts.
Flour	• • »	o-3- J 4 >>
Fish	• • •	27-J stones
Cooked Meats ('Finned Meat IJies, etc.)	Meat, Sausages, • 1 *	564!
Buns and Cakes	a a a	104
Cooking Fat Substitute	• • •	45 »

10

Bacon	• « •	2Si	lbs.
Butter	• • •	25i	5 j
Cheese	• « »	i5	j j
Ham	• • •	5	» j
Shredded Beef Suet	• • •	4	n
Sugar	• • •	1 2	>>
Meat	• • •	1 24	tins
Milk	• • •	262
Fish	• . •	hi	n
Cornish Pasties ...	• • •	2
Lemon Barley Crystals Fowler’s Syrup	• • •	18	5 5
♦ • •	2	»»
Vegetables	• • •	358
Fruit	• • •	89	>>
Soup	• • «	54	n
Jam, Marmalade and Apple	Sauce	37	) »
Fish Paste	• • •	38	>>
Spaghetti	• • ♦	16	5 >
Pickles	• • •	1 1
Malted Food	» • •	6	n
Christmas Pudding	• • •	1	tin

Cocoa and Coffe	• • •	3*7	packets
Cocoa and Malt ...	• • 7	i74	5 j
Sweephat	• • •	1 1	5)
Cake Mixture	• • «	66	' J
Pudding Mixture...	• • •	29	>>
Malt Cocoa Spread	• • •	18	J*
Cheese	• • •	13l	boxes
Drink Shakes	• • •	42	tubes
Pickles	t • •	6	jars
Fish Paste	• • t	5	>>
Marmalade	• • •	24
Salad Cream	• • 0	83	»
Meat Paste	• • •	2	n
Marmite	• • •	1	>5
Tomato Ketchup...	VI*	5	bottles
Fruit Sauce	• • •	1	bottle
Tomatoes	• • •	1
Meat Pies	• • •	32i
Chickens	III	72
Eggs	• • I	30	doz.

11

Summary of inspections.

Bakehouses		56
Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops		124
Foodshops		182
Ice Cream Shops ...		85
Restaurant Kitchens		27
Dwellinghouses (P.H. Acts)		4°4
,, Re-inspections		834
Drainage and other Sanitary Works	in progress	Lo O IO
Factories with mechanical power	| including	54
,, without ,, ,,	J bakehouses	95
Schools...	. . . • • •	12
Shops Acts	• • • * ♦ *	321
Hackney Carriages	• • • • • •	156
Miscellaneous	• • • • • *	302
Owners Agents and Builders interviewed	575
Cinemas	» • 0 • • •	12
Drain Tests	♦ • • # • ♦	43
Complaints	• * « • • •	362
Petroleum Stores ...	• • • • • •	40

Remedial Works.

Number of Dwellinghouses.

Ceilings repaired

Chimney stack repaired or reconstructed

Cooking Range repaired

Copper repaired

f Council Houses \ Other H ouses

Damp and defective walls remedied Doors repaired or renewed Drains unstopped

Drains repaired or reconstructed ...

Disinfested

24

20

4

19

68

15

42

86

12

Dustbins provided ... ... ... 14

Eaves gutters or downspouts repaired or

renewed ... ... ... ... 27

Firegrates repaired or renewed ... ... 16

Floor repaired ... ... ... 43

Roof made watertight ... ... ... 57

Staircase repaired ... ... ... 2

Ventilation increased ... ... ... 7

Wall plaster repaired ... ... ... 37

Walls and Ceilings cleansed ... ... 24

Water closet (new) provided ... ... 35

Water closets repaired ... ... ... 18

Water closet flushing cistern repaired ... 8

Water service repaired ... ... ... 2

Water heating appliance provided or repaired 2

Windows repaired or renewed ... ... 62

Yard paving repaired or renewed ... 3

Number of Cowsheds.

Limewashed on request ... ... 14

Number of Dairies.

Limewashed on request ... ... 12

Number of Factories.

Limewashed on request (including Bakehouses) 28 Ceiling renewed ... ... ... 1

Number of Disinfections.

Bedding ... ... ... ... 16

Dwellinghouses ... ... ... 18

Formal Notices Served ... ... ... 2

Informal Notices Served ... ... ... 227